Greg Burke (Vatican press director):Here among the journalists are those who are making a trip for the first time and those who have made almost 100.. No, more than 100, I think… And you, I don’t know if you know how many international trips you’ve made…

Francis:18!

Greg Burke:Ah, 18, alright great. I didn’t know. Nineteen is around the corner, so also you have a good number of Papal trips now. Thanks for this moment which is always a strong moment for us and let’s start with the Italian group, Paolo Rodari. I don’t know if you want to say something first.

Francis:Yes, good evening and thanks for your work because these were 27 hours, I think, of much work. Thanks so much for what you did, thank you. And I’m at your disposal.

Greg Burke:Thank you, Holy Father.

Paolo Rodari (Repubblica):Hello. Holy Father, thank you. I wanted to ask you about your meeting yesterday with al Sisi. What did you speak about? Topics of human rights were mentioned and, in particular, that you were able to speak about the case of Giulio Regeni, and do you think the truth will be reached in that regard?

Francis:On this I will give a general response, to then reach the particular. Generally when I am with a head of state in private dialogue, that remains private, unless, by agreement, we say ‘let’s say on this point, we’ll make it public.’ I had four private dialogues here with the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, with al Sisi, with Patriarch Tawadros and with Patriarch Ibrahim and I believe that if it is private, for respect one must maintain privacy… it is confidential… but later there is the question on Regeni. I am concerned, from the Holy See I have moved on that topic because the parents also asked me to. The Holy See has moved. I will not say how or where, but we have moved.

Greg Burke:Dario Menor Torres, from El Correo Espanol.

Dario Menor (El Correo Espanol):Thank you, Holiness! You said yesterday that peace, prosperity and development deserve every sacrifice and later you underscored the importance of the inalienable rights of man. Does this mean a support for the Egyptian government, a recognition of its role in the Middle East, and how it tries to defend Christians despite insufficient democratic guarantees from this government?

Francis:Could you repeat… what does what mean? I didn’t hear…

Dario Menor:If these words that you said on the importance of peace, of prosperity and development, saying that they deserve every sacrifice, if we should interpret them as a support of the Egyptian government and how it tries to defend Christians despite insufficient democratic guarantees.

Francis:No, No… one must interpret (it) literally as values in themselves… I said that defending peace, defending the harmony of peoples, defending the equality of citizens, whichever the religion they profess may be, are values. I spoke of values! If a person who governs defends one value or defends another, it is another issue. I have made 18 [international] visits. In many of those nations, I’ve heard, ‘But the Pope, going there, gives support to that government,’ because a government always has its weaknesses or it has its political adversaries, and some say one thing or another… I don’t get mixed up (in that)... I speak about values, and every person sees, is a judge if this government, this state, that from here, that from there, carries those values forward…

Dario Menor:Were you left with the urge to visit the Pyramids?

Francis:But, do you know that today at 6:00 in the morning, two of my assistants went to visit the pyramids?

Dario Menor:Would you have liked to go with them?

Francis:Truly, yes.

Dario Menor:Thanks a million.

Virginie Riva (Europe 1):Holy Father, a question possibly starting from the trip and extending it to France, if you accept. You spoke at al-Azhar, at the university, about demagogic populism. French Catholics in this moment are tempted by the populist or extreme vote, they are divided and disoriented. What elements of discernment could you give these Catholic electors?

Francis:Great… there is a dimension of “populisms” - in quotes, because you know that this word for me, I’ve had to relearn it in Europe, because in Latin America it has another meaning - there is an issue in Europe and there is an issue of the European Union behind it… that which I said about Europe I will not repeat it here… I’ve spoken about it four times, I believe, twice in Strasbourg, once at the Charlemagne Prize and at the beginning of the commemoration of the 60th. There is everything I’ve said about Europe. Every nation is free to make choices that it believes convenient before this. I cannot judge if this choice is made for this reason, or for another, because I don’t know the internal politics. It is true that Europe is in danger of dissolving. This is true! I said it softly in Strasbourg. I said it more strongly at the Charlemagne [Prize ceremony] and lately without nuance. We must meditate on only that - the Europe that goes from the Atlantic to the Urals - there is an issue that scares Europe and perhaps feeds … the issue is emigration. This is true. But let’s not forget that Europe was made by migrants, centuries and centuries of migrants. We are them! But it is an issue that must be studied well, also respecting opinions, but the honest opinions of a political discussion - with the capital letter, big, with the big ‘Politics’ and not with the little ‘politics’ of the nation that in the end winds up falling. About France, I’ll tell the truth. I don’t understand the internal French politics. I don’t understand it. I’ve sought to have good relations, also with the current president, with which there was a conflict once, but after I was able to speak clearly about things, respecting his opinion. On the two political candidates, I don’t know the history. I don’t know where they come from, nor - yes, I know that one represents the strong right, but the other I truly don’t know where they come from - for this (reason) I cannot give a clear opinion on France. But, speaking with Catholics, here in one of the gatherings, while I was greeting people, one said to me, ‘But why don’t you think big about politics ?’ What does that mean? Well, he said it to me as if asking for help… eh, to make a party for Catholics. This is a good man but he’s living in the last century. For this, the populisms have relationships with migrants, but this is not from the trip. If I still have time later I can return to this. If I have time, I will return.

Vera Shcherbakova (ITAR-TASS):Holy Father, thank you first of all for the blessings… you blessed me. I knelt down some minutes ago. I am Orthodox and I don’t see any contradiction with my baptism, anyway, I see it as a great pleasure. I wanted to ask: what are the prospects for the relations between the Orthodox, obviously Russian, but also yesterday in the common declaration with the Coptic Patriarch, the common date of Easter (came up) and that they speak of a recognition of baptism… where are we on this point? How do you evaluate the relations between the Vatican and Russia as a State, also in light of the defense of the values of Christians in the Middle East and especially in Syria? Thanks.

Greg Burke:This is Vera Shcherbakova, of the TASS Agency.

Francis:Christos Anesti! I, with the Orthodox, have always had a great friendship, since Buenos Aires, no? For example, every January 6th I would go to vespers, to the complete readings, at your Cathedral of Patriarch Plato, who is in an archbishop in the area of Ukraine, no? And he… two hours and forty (minutes) of prayer in a language that I didn’t understand, but you could pray well, and then the dinner with the community. Three hundred people, a Christmas Eve dinner, not a Christmas dinner. They still couldn’t eat dairy or meat, but it was a beautiful dinner and then bingo, the lottery… friendship… also with the other Orthodox, also sometimes they needed legal help. They would come to the Catholic Curia because they are small communities and they would go to the lawyers. They’d come in and out. But, I’ve always had a filial, fraternal relationship. We are sister Churches! With Tawadros, there is a special friendship. For me, he’s a great man of God! And Tawadros is a patriarch, a pope that carries the Church forward, the name of Jesus before (him). He has a great apostolic zeal… He is one of the most - permit me the word, but in quotes - ‘fanatics’ of finding a fixed date for Easter. I am too. We are seeking the way. But he says, ‘Let’s fight!’ He is a man of God. He is a man who, when he was bishop, far from Egypt, went out to feed the disabled, a man who was sent to a diocese with five churches and he left behind 25, I don’t know how many Christian families with the apostolic zeal. The you know how they make the election among them. They look for three, then they put the names in a bag, they call a child, they close their eyes and the child chooses the name. The Lord is there. He is clearly a great patriarch. The unity of baptism is moving ahead. The guilt of baptism is an historical thing(Editor’s note: Pope Francis seems to be referring to the historical ‘breach’ between the recognition of baptism between the Coptic Orthodox and Catholic traditions. Neither currently recognizes baptism carried out in the other Church), because in the first Councils it was the same, then as the Coptic Christians baptized children in the shrines, when they wanted to get married, they came to us, they were married with a Catholic, they asked for the faith… but they didn’t have it and they asked for baptism under a condition. It started with us, not with them… but now the door has been opened and we are on a good path of overcoming this issue, the door…. In the common declaration, the penultimate paragraph speaks of this. The Russian Orthodox recognize our baptism and we recognize their baptism. I was a very close friend as the bishop of Buenos Aires with the Russians, also with the Georgians, for example… but the patriarch of the Georgians is a man of God, Ilia II. He is a mystic! We Catholics must learn also from this mystical tradition of the Orthodox Churches. During this trip, we had this ecumenical encounter. Patriarch Bartholomew was there too. The Greek Orthodox Archbishop was there and then there were other Christians - Anglicans, also the secretary of the Union of Churches of Geneva(Editor’s note: Pope Francis is referring to the Conference of European Churches)but all that makes ecumenism is on the path. Ecumenism is made on the path, with the works of charity, with the works of helping, doing things together when they can be done together. Static ecumenism doesn’t exist! It is true that theologians must study and come to an agreement, but it will not be possible for this to finish well if we’re not walking. What can we do together? Pray together, work together, do works of charity together… but, together, eh! And move ahead. The relations with Patriarch Kirill are good. They are good. Also, Metropolitan Archbishop Hilarion has come many times to speak with me and we have a good relationship.

Greg Burke:She’s asking about with the State…

Francis:Ah, with the State! I know that the State speaks of this, of the defense of Christians in the Middle East. This I know and believe that it is a good thing to fight against persecution… today there are more martyrs than in the first centuries, most of all in the Middle East.

Greg Burke:Phil Pulella...this question will address the trip, but then let's see where it ends...

Phil Pulella (Reuters):If I can I would like to speak about another topic, but I'll start with the trip. You spoke yesterday in your first speech about the danger of unilateral action, and that everyone must be builders of peace. Now you have spoken very clearly about the "third world war in pieces," but it seems that today this fear and anxiety is concentrated on what is happening in North Korea...

Francis:Yes, it's the focal point!

Pulella:Exactly, it's the point of concentration. President Trump sent a team of military ships to the coast of North Korea, the leader of North Korea threatened to bomb South Korea, Japan and even the United States if they succeed in building long-range missiles. People are afraid and speak of the possibility of a nuclear war as if it were nothing. You, if you see President Trump, but also other people, what will you say to these leaders who are responsible for the future of humanity? Because we are in a very critical moment...

Francis:I would call them, I call them and I will call them like I called on leaders in different positions to work on resolving problems along the path of diplomacy, and there are facilitators, many of them, in the world. There are mediators who offer...there are countries like Norway, for example, no one can accuse Norway of being a dictatorial country, and it's always ready to help, to name an example, but there are many. The path is the path of negotiation, the path of diplomatic solutions. This world war in pieces of which I've been talking about for two years more or less, it's in pieces, but the pieces have gotten bigger, they are concentrated, they are focused on points that are already hot. Things are already hot, as the issue of missiles in North Korea has been there for more than a year, now it seems that the thing has gotten too hot. I always say to resolve problems on the path of diplomacy, negotiation, because the future of humanity...today a widespread war destroys I don't say half of humanity, but a good part of humanity, and it's the culture, everything. It's terrible. I think that today humanity is not able to support it. Let's look to these countries that are suffering an internal war, inside, where there are the fires of war, in the Middle East for example, but also in Africa, in Yemen. Let's stop! Let's look for a diplomatic solution! And there I believe that the United Nations has the duty to resume their leadership, because it's been watered down a bit.

Pulella:Do you want to meet President Trump when he comes to Europe? Has there been a request for a meeting?

Francis:I still have not been informed by the Secretariat of State if there has been a request, but I receive every head of state who asks for an audience.

Greg Burke:I think the questions on the trip have finished. We can take one more still, then we have to go to dinner at six-thirty. There is Antonio Pelayo from Antena 3, who you know…

Antonio Pelayo (Antena 3):Thank you. Holy Father, the situation in Venezuela has deteriorated recently in a very serious way, and there have been many deaths. I want to ask you if the Holy See intends to carry out this action, this peacemaking intervention, and what forms could this action take?

Francis:There was an intervention from the Holy See at the strong request of the four presidents that were working as facilitators. And the thing didn’t turn out. And it remained there. It didn’t turn out because the proposals weren’t accepted or they were diluted. It was a ‘yes-yes,’ but ‘no-no.’ We all know the difficult situation of Venezuela. It is a nation that I really love. And I know that now they are insisting, I don’t know well from where, I believe that it’s from the four presidents, on relaunching this facilitation and they are looking for the place. I think that this has to be with conditions already, very clear conditions. Part of the opposition doesn’t want this. Because it’s curious, the very opposition is divided and on the other hand it appears that the conflicts are always worse. But, there is something in movement. I was informed of that, but it is very up in the air still. But all that can be done for Venezuela has to be done, with the necessary guarantees, if not we’re playing ‘tin tin pirulero’(Editor’s note: this is a Spanish term for trying one thing, then another and another without knowing what one is doing). It’s not working...

Greg Burke:Thank you Holy Father. And now we go to...

Jörg Heinz Norbert Bremer (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung): Some days ago you spoke about the theme of refugees in Greece, in Lesbos, and you used this word "concentration camp" because there were too many people. For us Germans this was obviously a very, very serious word, and very close to "extermination camp." There are people who say that this was a linguistic lapse. What did you intend to say?

Francis:First, you must read well everything that I said. I said that the most generous in Europe were Italy and Greece. It's true, they are closer to Libya, to Syria. From Germany, I have always admired the ability of integration. When I studied there, there were many integrated Turks in Frankfurt. They integrated and had a normal life. There was no linguistic lapse: there are concentration camps, sorry: refugee camps that are true camps of concentration. Perhaps there are some in Italy, or in another area...in Germany, I'm not sure, but you think of what people do who are closed in a camp and can't leave. Think about what happened in Northern Europe when they wanted to cross the sea and go to England. They are closed inside. But it made me laugh a bit, and this is a bit of Italian culture, but it made me laugh that in a refugee camp in Sicily, a delegate of Catholic Action told me, one of the delegates from the dioceses in Argentina - there is one or two in the area there, I don't know which diocese - the heads of that city where the camp was spoke to the people in the refugee camp, and they said: you, here inside, it will hurt you and your mental health too...you have to go out, but please don't do anything bad. We can't open the door, but we can make a little hole behind. Go out, have a nice walk, and this is how relationships were made with the people who lived in that city, good relationships, and these (refugees) aren't delinquents, they don't commit crimes. The sole fact of being closed without anything (to do), this is a lager!(Editor’s note: he is referring to the German name for concentration camp. For example, Auschwitz was a “lager”). But it doesn't have anything to do with Germany, no.

Greg Burke:Thank you Holy Father.

Francis:Thanks to you for this work you do which helps a lot of people. You don't know the good that you can do with your news pieces, with your articles, with your thoughts. We must help people and also help communication, because communication...may the press lead us to good things, may it not lead us to disorientations that don't help us. Thank you very much! Have a good dinner, and pray for me!

Francis ‘the humble’ ‘first Moslem’ gives the thumbs up to children dressed as pharaohs. This was a photo-op extraordinaire. Under extremely tight security for a North African country with the majority of the audience separated from Francis by a 15 foot fence barrier and tons of security, the children were to go over and embrace Francis but they didn't at first. It wasn’t until he waved over the children that they remembered what had been rehearsed. Symbolically, Francis is giving thumbs up to Pharaonic magic and the occult right before beginning his man-made Novus Ordo mess. This symbolic theme was also contained in his logo for the Egypt trip and written about here previously. Francis is continuing to demonstrate his ‘revolution of tenderness’ by embracing the pharaohs and helping to further de-Christianize Egypt.

L'Osservatore Romano published this photo of the moment from another perspective.

Among the projects that Trump showed an interest in during his visit was building a casino in Eilat. In the Trump file, one of the documents notes that this was the "practical reason" for Trump's visit, "since that is Mr. Trump's field."

Trump, who was 43 at the time, arrived in Israel on July 29, 1989 on his private jet. An unnamed deputy minister - probably Yossi Beilin, then-Finance Minister Shimon Peres’s deputy - welcomed the tycoon at the airport.

The next morning Trump had breakfast with Beilin and Teddy Kollek, the mayor of Jerusalem. They then went on a tour of Jerusalem’s Old City, several museums and Bethlehem, which was under full Israeli control at that time, before the establishment of the Palestinian Authority.

After lunch Trump flew to the Dead Sea, accompanied by Peres, where the billionaire was presented with a development project. He then flew to an area in the northern Negev desert that had been constructed for people who had been evacuated seven years earlier from the Israeli settlement of Yamit in Sinai. Trump also visited a moshav and a kibbutz and asked to see a playground he had donated to the Jewish National Fund.

Trump then traveled to Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev desert and visited the Ramon military base. He finished the day in Eilat, where he watched the sunset and dined at the Neptune Hotel, followed by a nighttime tour of the Red Sea resort town.

According to plan, Trump started his second day with a dive at the coral reef reserve in Eilat. He then attended to business, visiting several potential sites for investment - including an airport - and examined opportunities for investing in Tel Aviv and Herzliya. After meeting with then-Prime Minister Shamir, Trump returned to the U.S. by the end of the day.

The documents kept in the state archive’s Trump file also include quotes sent to the Foreign Ministry by different upscale hotels competing for the opportunity to host Trump. Hyatt Regency in Jerusalem, boasting a deluxe 5-star rating, offered a “room facing Jerusalem’s magnificent views, a fruit basket and a daily newspaper.” Ultimately, however, another hotel had the honor of hosting the billionaire. A letter to the Foreign Ministry from the Laromme Hotel confirms the reservation for the corresponding dates.

(click image to enlarge)

The hotel made some concessions to its guests, saying that it would only charge Peres the rates for a regular room while giving him a suite. This implies that Trump and Peres slept at the same hotel during the businessman’s visit.

The question of who invited Trump and why is answered in a letter by journalist Mira Avrech, also kept in the archives. Three people claimed to have initiated the invitation: former Prime Minister Shamir, former Finance Minister Peres and former Eilat Mayor Rafi Hochman. According to Avrech, all three are correct since they indeed all invited Trump, albeit on different occasions. Considering purchasing El Al, Trump was keen to visit. Due to his concerns about internal Israeli politics, however, he requested an official invitation. The invitation was signed by Israel’s then-ambassador to the U.S., Moshe Arad, in the name of the prime minister and his substitute.

This morning in the Synod Hall, Francis had a private audience with the participants in the Congress of the International Forum of Catholic Action. The theme of this year’s congress is “Catholic Action is mission, with all and for all”. During the private audience Francis gave an address to those present. He thanked the group “for taking Evangelii Gaudium as your charter” and then shared some things for them to consider as well as some concerns he had.

— What Francis wants Catholic Action to be:

“All members of the Catholic Action are dynamically missionaries. Children evangelize children, young people evangelize the young, adults evangelize adults, and so on. There is nothing better than a peer to show that it is possible to live the joy of faith.”

— How Francis sees Catholic Action working:

“It is necessary for Catholic Action to be present in the political, business and professional worlds – not because they believe themselves to be perfect Christians, but to serve better. It is essential for Catholic Action to be present in prisons, hospitals, on the streets, in slums, and in factories. If this is not the case, it will be an institution of elitists with nothing to say to anyone, not even to the Church herself. I want Catholic Action to be among the people, in the parish, in the diocese, in the country, in the neighbourhood, in the family, in study and in work, in the countryside, in all spheres of life. It is these new forums that decisions are made and culture is built.”

— Francis warns Catholic Action:

“You cannot be more restrictive than the Church herself, nor more Papist than the Pope.”

— Two of Francis’ latest insults:

“Open the doors, do not carry out examinations of Christian perfection because in so doing you will promote a hypocritical phariseeism.”

“Do not clericalize the laity. May the aspiration of your members be not to become part of the Sanhedrin of parishes that surround the pastor, but rather passion for the kingdom. Do not forget, though, to pose the vocational theme seriously. The school of holiness that passes necessarily by way of the discovery of one’s own vocation is that of being not a manager or a diplomat priest, but rather, first and foremost, an evangelizer.”

— Unrepentant sinners should be members of Catholic Action:

“A more popular, more incarnate Catholic Action will cause you problems, because people will want to join the institution who apparently are not in a condition to do so: families in which parents are not married in Church, men and women with a difficult past or present but who struggle, disoriented and troubled youths. It is a challenge to the ecclesial maternity of Catholic Action: receiving all and accompanying them on the path of life with the crosses they bear on their shoulders.”

These are just some of the highlights or lowlights of Francis’ speech from today. To sum up Francis is continuing along the revolutionary path he has been blazing where he is ridding the church of it’s hierarchy and turning it into one of those NGOs that he loves to harp on about. Revolutionaries like Francis can’t seem to help themselves in correcting Christ.

“Russia originally evolved as a multi-nationality and multi-confessional state. You know Orthodox Christianity and some theorists agree with this, it is much closer to Islam than to Roman Catholicism.”

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru of Opus Dei and currently the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts as well as Canonist of the Apostolic Penitentiary and former member of the disbanded Pontifical Commission for Reform of the Institute for Works of Religion (Vatican Bank) recently granted an interview, published in Revista Ecclesia Digital, where he discussed: the IOR (Vatican Bank); marriage annulments; banking laws; administration of charities and Vatican law; sex crimes committed by prelates; the SSPX’s personal prelature; and Francis relationship with the Curia. The full interview can be read by (clicking here) but we at Call Me Jorge... are only concerned with his answer about the Society of St. Pius X.

A new prelature

Regarding whether the Church will soon approve of a new prelature, Monsignor Arrieta considers that,

“It is a very possible option for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (as shown) in the recent data. The problems of doctrinal nature have been given specific form and satisfied. The Superior General, Monsignor Bernard Fellay, in public displays, has expressed his desire for unity of the whole Catholic Church.”

0:15Good evening – or, good morning, I am not sure what time it is there.Regardless of the hour, I am thrilled to be participating in your conference.I very much like its title – "The Future You" –because, while looking at tomorrow, it invites us to open a dialogue today,to look at the future through a "you.""The Future You:"the future is made of yous, it is made of encounters,because life flows through our relations with others.Quite a few years of lifehave strengthened my convictionthat each and everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others:life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions.

1:27As I meet, or lend an ear to those who are sick,to the migrants who face terrible hardshipsin search of a brighter future,to prison inmates who carry a hell of pain inside their hearts,and to those, many of them young, who cannot find a job,I often find myself wondering:"Why them and not me?"I, myself, was born in a family of migrants;my father, my grandparents, like many other Italians,left for Argentinaand met the fate of those who are left with nothing.I could have very well ended up among today's "discarded" people.And that's why I always ask myself, deep in my heart:"Why them and not me?"

2:35First and foremost, I would love it if this meeting could help to remind usthat we all need each other,none of us is an island,an autonomous and independent "I," separated from the other,and we can only build the future by standing together, including everyone.We don’t think about it often, but everything is connected,and we need to restore our connections to a healthy state.Even the harsh judgment I hold in my heartagainst my brother or my sister,the open wound that was never cured, the offense that was never forgiven,the rancor that is only going to hurt me,are all instances of a fight that I carry within me,a flare deep in my heart that needs to be extinguishedbefore it goes up in flames, leaving only ashes behind.

3:38Many of us, nowadays,seem to believe that a happy future is something impossible to achieve.While such concerns must be taken very seriously,they are not invincible.They can be overcome when we don't lock our door to the outside world.Happiness can only be discoveredas a gift of harmony between the whole and each single component.Even science – and you know it better than I do –points to an understanding of realityas a place where every element connects and interacts with everything else.

4:27And this brings me to my second message.How wonderful would it beif the growth of scientific and technological innovationwould come along with more equality and social inclusion.How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets,to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us.How wonderful would it be if solidarity,this beautiful and, at times, inconvenient word,were not simply reduced to social work,and became, instead, the default attitudein political, economic and scientific choices,as well as in the relationships among individuals, peoples and countries.Only by educating people to a true solidaritywill we be able to overcomethe "culture of waste,"which doesn't concern only food and goodsbut, first and foremost, the peoplewho are cast aside by our techno-economic systemswhich, without even realizing it,are now putting products at their core, instead of people.

6:08Solidarity is a term that many wish to erase from the dictionary.Solidarity, however, is not an automatic mechanism.It cannot be programmed or controlled.It is a free response born from the heart of each and everyone.Yes, a free response!When one realizesthat life, even in the middle of so many contradictions, is a gift,that love is the source and the meaning of life,how can they withhold their urge to do good to another fellow being?

6:50In order to do good,we need memory, we need courage and we need creativity.And I know that TED gathers many creative minds.Yes, love does require a creative, concreteand ingenious attitude.Good intentions and conventional formulas,so often used to appease our conscience, are not enough.Let us help each other, all together, to rememberthat the other is not a statistic or a number.The other has a face.The "you" is always a real presence,a person to take care of.

7:52There is a parable Jesus told to help us understand the differencebetween those who'd rather not be bothered and those who take care of the other.I am sure you have heard it before. It is the Parable of the Good Samaritan.When Jesus was asked: "Who is my neighbor?" -namely, "Who should I take care of?" -he told this story, the story of a manwho had been assaulted, robbed, beaten and abandoned along a dirt road.Upon seeing him, a priest and a Levite, two very influential people of the time,walked past him without stopping to help.After a while, a Samaritan, a very much despised ethnicity at the time, walked by.Seeing the injured man lying on the ground,he did not ignore him as if he weren't even there.Instead, he felt compassion for this man,which compelled him to act in a very concrete manner.He poured oil and wine on the wounds of the helpless man,brought him to a hosteland paid out of his pocket for him to be assisted.

9:26The story of the Good Samaritan is the story of today’s humanity.People's paths are riddled with suffering,as everything is centered around money, and things, instead of people.And often there is this habit, by people who call themselves "respectable,"of not taking care of the others,thus leaving behind thousands of human beings, or entire populations,on the side of the road.Fortunately, there are also those who are creating a new worldby taking care of the other, even out of their own pockets.Mother Teresa actually said:"One cannot love, unless it is at their own expense."

10:26We have so much to do, and we must do it together.But how can we do that with all the evil we breathe every day?Thank God,no system can nullify our desire to open up to the good,to compassion and to our capacity to react against evil,all of which stem from deep within our hearts.Now you might tell me,"Sure, these are beautiful words,but I am not the Good Samaritan, nor Mother Teresa of Calcutta."On the contrary: we are precious, each and every one of us.Each and every one of us is irreplaceable in the eyes of God.Through the darkness of today's conflicts,each and every one of us can become a bright candle,a reminder that light will overcome darkness,and never the other way around.

11:27To Christians, the future does have a name,and its name is Hope.Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïveand ignore the tragedy humanity is facing.Hope is the virtue of a heartthat doesn't lock itself into darkness, that doesn't dwell on the past,does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow.Hope is the door that opens onto the future.Hope is a humble, hidden seed of life that, with time, will develop into a large tree.It is like some invisible yeast that allows the whole dough to grow,that brings flavor to all aspects of life.And it can do so much,because a tiny flicker of light that feeds on hopeis enough to shatter the shield of darkness.A single individual is enough for hope to exist,and that individual can be you.And then there will be another "you," and another "you,"and it turns into an "us."And so, does hope begin when we have an "us?"No.Hope began with one "you."When there is an "us," there begins a revolution.

13:16The third message I would like to share todayis, indeed, about revolution: the revolution of tenderness. And what is tenderness?It is the love that comes close and becomes real.It is a movement that starts from our heartand reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands.Tenderness means to use our eyes to see the other,our ears to hear the other,to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future.To listen also to the silent cry of our common home,of our sick and polluted earth.Tenderness means to use our hands and our heartto comfort the other,to take care of those in need.

14:13Tenderness is the language of the young children,of those who need the other.A child’s love for mom and dadgrows through their touch, their gaze, their voice, their tenderness.I like when I hear parentstalk to their babies, adapting to the little child,sharing the same level of communication.This is tenderness: being on the same level as the other.God himself descended into Jesus to be on our level.This is the same path the Good Samaritan took.This is the path that Jesus himself took.He lowered himself,he lived his entire human existencepracticing the real, concrete language of love.

15:23Yes, tenderness is the path of choicefor the strongest, most courageous men and women.Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude.It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility.Please, allow me to say it loud and clear:the more powerful you are,the more your actions will have an impact on people,the more responsible you are to act humbly.If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.There is a saying in Argentina:"Power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach."You feel dizzy, you get drunk, you lose your balance,and you will end up hurting yourself and those around you,if you don’t connect your power with humility and tenderness.Through humility and concrete love, on the other hand,power – the highest, the strongest one – becomes a service, a force for good.

16:52The future of humankind isn't exclusively in the hands of politicians,of great leaders, of big companies.Yes, they do hold an enormous responsibility.But the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a "you"and themselves as part of an "us."We all need each other.And so, please, think of me as well with tenderness,so that I can fulfill the task I have been givenfor the good of the other,of each and every one, of all of you,of all of us.Thank you.